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4 EXTENSION TABLE. No. 471,330. I Patented Mar. 22,1892.

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Patented Mar. 22, 1892.

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W. H. PIGKETT. EXTENSION TABLE.

No. 471,330. Patented Mar. 22, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM H. PIOKETT, OF VARREN, PENNSYLVANIA.

EXTENSION-TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 471,330, dated March 22, 1892. Application filed March 4, 1891. fierial No. 383,758. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. PIOKETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Warren, in the county of Warren and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Extension-Tables, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that type of extension-tables wherein adjustable leg-frames and flexible table-top sections are located at the ends of a center panel in such manner that by adjusting the leg-frames'the flexible table-top sections are extended or retracted.

The object of my invention is to provide novel means whereby the capacity of the table is largely increased by rendering it capable of greater extension, and the flexible tabletop sections can be independently extended or retracted by the action of belt-and-pulley mechanisms carried by the adusjtable legframes.

To accomplish this object myinvention involves the features of construction, the combination or arrangement of devices, and the principles of operation hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of an extension -table embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line mm, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the side rails of a leg-frame. Fig. 5 is a broken detail perspective view of a portion of one of the adjustable leg-frames, and Fig. 6 is a detail broken perspective view of one of the slats of a flexible table-top section.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawings, wherein- The numeral 1 indicates a center panel having on its under side a pair of parallel guide-bars 2 and a stationary leg-frame 3, suitably connected with the guide-bars or some other part of the center panel. The adj ustable leg-frames 4. are arranged 'at opposite' ends of the center panel and are connected by suitable slides 5 with the guide-bars 2, secured to the center panel, so that when the end leg-frames are adjusted outwardly the slides constitute continuous supports for the flexible table-top sections, each of which is composed of a series of slats 6, adapted to move between the parallel side rails 7 of the adjustable leg-frames. The slats are preferably strung upon and are flexibly connected by cables 8, and their extremities are provided with undercut grooves 9 to form tonguepieces 10 at the under sides of the slats, which project beneath and slide upon metallic plates 12, Fig. 3, attached to the side rails 7 and projecting inwardly therefrom to constitute guide-flanges.

The side rails are preferably rabbeted at their upper edges to form horizontal shoulders 13, to which are secured the uppermost portion of the metallic plate 12. This plate is provided with a semicircular switch portion 14 and a horizontal flanged portion 15, having at its rear a switch portion 16, which extends into an inclined flange 17, arranged between the uppermost portion of the plate 12 and the lowermost portion 15 of such plate. The plate 12 can be secured to the shoulder 13 by means of suitable screws, while the portions 14., 15, 16, and 17 are formed of angle-irons, one flange of which is provided with screw-holes by which to attach the same to the side rail 7. The side rails 7 are provided with grooves 18, extending partially round the switch portion 16 and arranged parallel with the inclined part 17 of the metallic plate. The grooves 18 are for the purpose of receiving the extremities 19 of the flexibly-connected slats 6, as

.such slats move round the switch portion 16 and travel up the inclined portion 17. The metallic plates, arranged as described, constitute a metallic track for the flexibly-connected slats as the adjustable leg-frames are moved to or from each other. By this construction I provide a track of extensive length within a comparatively short space, and consequently flexible table-top sections of considerable length can be extended or retracted for the purpose of enlarging the capacity of the extension-table. .This increased length of the extension-table is permitted by the slides 5, hereinbefore described, which connect the adjustable leg-frames with the guidebars secured to the under side of the center panel.

The adjustable leg-frames 4 are each provided with a transverse bar 20, secured to the side rails and provided centrally between its ends'with a pair of brackets 21, which constitute the bearings for the cylindrical hub 01' axle 22 of a pulley or wheel 23. The hub or axle here shown extends from opposite sides of the pulley or wheel and is provided with an angular orifice extending through it for the reception andmovement of the angular section 2t of a lengthwise-movable crankrod, comprising a section 25, pivoted to one extremity of the section 24:, and a handlesection 26, pivoted to one extremity of the section 25 in such manner that by moving the crank-rod sections lengthwise in an out ward direction the sections 25 and 26 can be turned on their pivotal connections 27 and 28 and made to assume the crank form illustrated by Fig. 5 for the purpose of rotating the pulley or wheel 23.

I have shown the crank-rod sections as angular throughout their length; but the outermost sections 25 and 26 and aportion of the innermost section 24: may be cylindrical, it only bein g essential that the section 2% be angular for such a distance as will enable the crank-rod sections to be moved outwardly to the position indicated by Fig. 5 and at the same time impart a rotary motion to the pulley or wheel when the crank-rod is rotated by the engagement of the angular portion of thesection 2a with the angular orifice or socket in the hub or axle 22.

The pivotal connections 27 and 28 are composed of pivot-pins passing through slots in the sections 25 and 26, so that when the crankrod sections are extended the section 25 can be turned at right angles to the section 2t and then moved lengthwise, and likewise the handle-section 26 can be moved to a position at right angles to the section 25 and then moved lengthwise, whereby the parts are made practically rigid for the proper operation of the crank to rotate the pulley or wheel.

The adjustable leg-frames are also each provided with a transverse bar 29, secured to the side rail 7 and having intermediate its ends a pair of brackets 30, which serve as bearings for a pulley 0r wheel 31. An endless belt 32 passes round the two pulleys 23 and 30, and preferably the pulleys or wheels are furnished with annular grooves for the reception of the belt 32. The belt may be composed of wire, leather, or other suitable material, or it may be a simple chain made of chainlinks, as usual in the construction of chains to engage sprocket-wheels; but if a chain belt is employed the pulleys or wheels should be suitably constructed to engage the chain links after the manner of ordinary sprocket wheels. The outer extremity of each flexible table-top section is attached to the endless belt, as at 33, and consequently when the crank-rod is rotated to turn the pulley or wheel 23 a traveling movement is imparted to the endless belt, so that theadj ustable leg-frame is moved outward or inward, according to the direction in which the belt is made to travel.

It will be understood that the inner ends of the flexible table-top sections are secured to the center panel 1, and consequently it the crank-rod be turned in one direction the adj ustable legframe will be moved outward, thereby extending the flexible table-top sections and laying the greater portion of the latter in a horizontal plane, while by turning the crank-rod in the reverse direction the adjustable leg-frame will be moved inward and the flexible tabletop section will be retracted and caused to travel upon the metallic track, hereinbefore explained, until the flexible section assumes the position indicated by dotted lines at the left-hand end of Fig. 1.

By means of the belt-and-pulley mechanisms each leg-frame can be adjusted 1ndependent of the other leg-tram e, and obviously a single person can adjust the leg-frame at one end of the table to extend the flexible sect-ion at such end by merely turning the crank-rod, whereby I entirely avoid the necessity of holding the center panel or the opposite end of the table stationary while one end is being extended or retracted. This is a material advantage over prior extension-tables having independently-adjustable leg-frames, tor n the prior constructions when one leg-frame is to be adjusted it is usually essential to hold the opposite end of the table stationary.

By my invention the belt-and-pulley mechanisms, in connection with the attachment of the flexible table-top section to the stationary center panel 1, enable the end leg-frames to be moved back and forth for extending or retracting the flexible table-top section by the mere rotary movement of the crank-rod. The crank-rod is arranged to move lengthwise 1n a suitable orifice in one of the side rails of each adjustable leg-frame, and consequently when the crank-rod sections are placed in alignment and then pushed inward the entire crank, except the knob of the handle section, is housed and concealed within the leg-frame.

To prevent the complete withdrawal of the crank-rod from the hub or axle of the pulley or wheel 23, I provide the inner extremity of the crank-rod with a suitable shoulder 34.

The construction of the metallic plate for producing the trackway with its horizontal and inclined portions connected by segmental switch portions may be variously modified, and therefore I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to the specific construction of metallic plate which I have illustrated and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination, in an extension-table, of a stationary panel, an adjustable leg-frame, a flexible table-top section attached at its inner end to the stationary panel, a front and rear pulley or wheel mounted upon the adjustable leg-frame, an endless belt passing round the two pulleys or Wheels and directly attached to the outer end portion of the flexible table-top section, and means for rotating one of the pulleys or wheels, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in an extension-table, of a stationary panel, an adjustable leg-frame having a slide connection with the panel and provided on its inner vertical sides with laterally-proj ecting trackways,the flexible tabletop section attached at itsinnerend to the panel and having its outer end portion engaging the trackways, a front and rear pulley or Wheel mounted upon the leg-frame, an endless belt passing round the two pulleys and directly attached to the outer end portion of the flexible table-top section, and means for rotating one of the pulleys, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in an extension-table, of a stationary panel, an adjustable leg-frame having a slide connection with the panel and provided with trackways, a flexible table-top section attached at its inner end to the panel and having its outer end portion engaging the trackways, a front and rear pulley journaled upon the leg-frame, an endless belt passing round the two pulleys and directly attached to the outerend portion of the flexible table-top section, and a crank-shaft enpanel and engaging the leg-frame, a pulley or Wheel journaled on the leg-frame and having a hub containing an angular orifice, a belt engaging the pulley or wheel and attached to the flexible table-top section, and a crank-rod movable lengthwise through the angular orifice in the hub of the pulley, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in an extension-table, of a stationary panel, an adjustable leg-frame, a flexible table-top section connected with the panel and engaging the leg-frame, a wheel or pulley j ournaled on the leg-frame and having a hub containing an orifice, means operated by the Wheel or pulley for sliding the leg-frame back and forth to extend and retract the table-top section, and a crank-rod constructed to turn the wheel or pulley and movable lengthwise through the orifice therein, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM H. PIOKETT. [L. s]

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. NORRIS, JAMES A. RUTHERFORD. 

